July 29, 1999 Hotline

  July 29, 1999


MEC & Local Council Meetings
The MEC will vote to elect an MEC chairman, vice chairman and secretary-treasurer at its
August 3-4th meeting. The new officer two-year terms will begin September 1st,
1999.

More than 30 members attended Monday’s PHX Council 62 Local Council meeting in
Ahwatukee. The minutes of the meeting will be posted to the MEC web site and the ALPA
readfile in the T-4 pilot lounge within the next week.

The next PHX Council 62 Local Council meeting is scheduled for Thursday, August 26 at
the Doubletree Hotel, located at 44th and Van Buren streets in Phoenix. The
meeting will be held from 5pm to 8pm, followed by a reception from 8pm to 10pm. The agenda
will focus on reports from our outgoing MEC officers and an introduction to our newly
elected MEC officers. In addition, three of ALPA’s national officers will be featured
guests–ALPA President Duane Woerth; Vice-President of Administration Jerry Mugerditchian,
and Group C Executive Vice President Cress Bernard. Each will be on hand during the
meeting and the reception to follow. This is an open meeting: all members in good standing
and spouses are welcome.

Satellite Lines/Pairings
There has been a lot of talk lately about satellite lines, including an informal
presentation to the Council 62 LEC by two check airmen. But, to date, the MEC has received
no formal proposal from management. Language providing for satellite lines exists in a
number of ALPA contracts, and America West management has examined the concept from time
to time. In short, satellite lines would consist of pairings that begin and end in a city
other than PHX, such as LAS or the Los Angeles basin. Pilots who live in satellite cities
would bid these lines, and America West might see reductions in both soft credit and hotel
expenses, while pilots might see a net increase in average days off.

Note that there is no provision in our contract for satellites in either the
line-building or PBS environments. Ultimately, new language would have to be negotiated,
submitted to a trial run, then offered to the membership for ratification. We have been,
and remain, willing to consider any draft language, submitted by management, designed to
amend the contract in a manner that would improve pilot schedules. We have yet to see any
written proposals.

RX Prime

Negotiating Conference

Air Carrier Security Chairman

Pilot Information Forms

Fatigue Survey

Fenix Flight Delay

Table Talk

Committee Updates

Also, Communications Specialist Yvette Freeman continues to expand and enhance the MEC
web site at www.awalpa.org. One of the projects she is working on is to add all System
Board decisions, beginning with 1999’s cases. Pilots who have ideas and suggestions
concerning the web site are encouraged to contact Yvette at the MEC office or via email at
[email protected].

That concludes this week’s update. Remember: contract negotiations is not a spectator
sport; you have to participate. So, turn in your surveys, attend your local council
meetings, and wear your ALPA pin. On the flight line, every flight counts. At the
bargaining table, every pilot counts. Stay focused, fly safe, and thanks for listening.

The next scheduled Hotline will be a special update after completion of the MEC officer
elections no later than Wednesday, August 4th.

  • MEC & Local Council Meetings
  • Satellite Lines
  • RX Prime
  • Negotiating Conference
  • Air Carrier Security committee Chair
  • Pilot Information Forms
  • Fatigue Survey
  • Fenix Flight
  • Table Talk
  • Committee and Communications Updates
    MEC Hotline
  Don Steinman
for the MEC. Subjects:


Retirement and Insurance Committee Chairman Joe Heil has recorded an extremely informative
R&I update on the KIT system. The primary topic is the recent change in disability
carriers, its affect on the RX Prime prescription program, and how to handle your
reimbursement procedures. Although the change in carriers does not result in a reduction
of benefits, the R&I Committee, along with Jim Connolly of ALPA’s Benefits
department, are closely monitoring the transition. If you experience problems with the RX
Prime program, please contact Mary Wade at 480-693-8845, and leave a message for the
R&I committee on the KIT system.

Negotiating Committee Chairman Pete Neff, Contract Administrator Andrew Shostack, and MEC
Secretary-Treasurer Mike Calabrese are in Washington, DC this week attending an ALPA
National bargaining conference. Participants in the conference include negotiating
chairmen, contract administrators, and MEC officers from the major jet carriers in ALPA,
including United, Delta, Northwest, USAirways, TWA and America West.

The Air Carrier Security Committee is in need of a new chairman. Capt. Barry Kendrick has
resigned from the position, effective August 15. Pilots interested in chairing the
Security Committee should contact an MEC member or officer. And we’d like to thank
Capt. Kendrick for a job well done.

The MEC would like to thank those pilots who have submitted their Pilot Information Forms.
The response has been quite good; however, we would like to see 100% participation. The
information on the forms will go into a database that will allow us to keep you informed
during contract negotiations. If you have not returned the form, please do so immediately
via the ALPA box in the PHX crew lounge or by fax. If you have misplaced your form, please
call the MEC office.

As a reminder, pilots are asked to complete and return the Central Air Safety
Committee’s fatigue survey by August 1. The surveys may be returned via the ALPA box
in the PHX crew lounge, or by mail to the MEC office.

Publication of the Fenix Flight has been delayed due to computer problems. However,
the next issue should go to press in the next few weeks.

The second issue of Table Talk, the newsletter of the Negotiating Committee,
was mailed today and should arrive in your home mailbox by the end of next week. Please be
sure to include this issue in your Contract 2000 binder. If you do not receive your copy,
please call the MEC office to verify your home address. As a reminder, all publications
concerning Contract 2000 will be mailed to pilots’ home addresses.

Several committee chairmen have updated their KIT System messages. In addition to a very
informative R&I update, there are recent updates by the Grievance Committee, and the
Central Air Safety message is updated weekly.